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Village reviews DRRI budget reallocation after engineering fee overruns
Summary
At a special meeting, the village heard a DRRI budget briefing showing a $4.28 million award and flagged about $94,000 in engineering fee overage tied to additional scope; staff recommended seeking state approval to reallocate funds and a contract extension so reimbursements can proceed without out‑of‑pocket costs for the village.
James, presenting the village's DRRI (Disaster Recovery/Resilience Initiative) package, told the board the original award totals $4,283,551 and includes engineering and legal services. He said recent invoices show Hunt's engineering fees are about $94,000 higher than the line in the original budget and explained that part of the increase followed added scope for the firehouse clock tower and other change orders.
The presentation outlined Amendment 1 and a proposed second amendment that would reallocate DRRI funds across projects to cover Hunt's higher fee, inspection and testing costs, and escalation from construction delays. James said the goal of the reallocation is to balance project budgets so the village does not pay out of pocket and to keep the state's reimbursement trail intact.
Board members pushed for documentation and clear provenance for any fund shifts. James recommended the village request formal New York State approval to reallocate DRRI monies and noted that the grant period currently runs through Dec. 31; staff are also pursuing a common two‑year extension to ensure projects can be completed and reimbursed.
On waterfront and Art Park work, James said the state emphasized "visibility" — the village could scale back less‑visible waterfront work and invest in pedestrian sidewalk/art features near the firehouse and steamer house to meet that expectation without triggering large infrastructure repairs. He recommended getting written state sign‑off on any parking changes connected to Art Park scope.
James also described smaller non‑construction costs (inspection, soil testing, asbestos testing) that were charged to DRRI budgets and explained why some pay applications had been held up while reimbursement paperwork was reconciled. He urged the board to approve a proposed amendment so pay applications can move and contractors can be paid.
What happens next: Staff will prepare a formal reallocation request for New York State and provide the board with supporting documents (bids, meeting minutes, and the proposals that led to scope increases) so board members can vote on the amendment at a subsequent meeting.
